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Miracle Rice Shows Billions Can Be Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 23, Number 49, December 6, 1996 and allied agencies, including the World Trade Organization, are thwarting the practical applications, and suppressing food output. Miracle rice shows McNamara called for more funding for World Bank-con­ nected agricultural research centers, in particular the CGIAR billions can be fed network. He said that the U.S. government reduced its dona­ tions to international agricultural research by almost 50% over 1992-94, resulting in cuts at agricultural research centers by Marcia Meny Baker around the world. McNamara also criticized the U.S. governmentfor cutting On Oct. 18, in Des Moines, its funding for family planning, saying that the United States Iowa, the World Food Prize was reneging on its pledge made at the UN Cairo Population was awarded to two research­ Conference, to increase spending on reducing world fertility ers, Dr. Henry Beachell and rates. Dr. Gurdev Khush, for their "The trend [on the lack of support by the United States work, beginning in the 1960s, for combatting hunger] is not very encouraging," said in developing new genetic McNamara. "U.S. national policy in recent years has often lines of rice, called miracle moved in directions opposite to what is required to advance rice, which has more than dou­ food security both here and abroad." bled the world's rice produc- tion over the last 30 years. The Dr. Henry Beachell Another 25 % increase in yields research was done at the Inter- The potential for vast new I ! national Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, sources of food supplies was part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural raised at the World Food Prize Reserach (CGIAR). award ceremony on Oct. 18 The award was the occasion for a symposium on Oct. 19 by the recipients. Dr. Khush, in Des Moines, on the theme "Food Security: New Solutions in accepting his award, de­ for the 21st Century." Participating were Robert McNamara, scribed the recent new break­ former president of the World Bank; Ismail Serageldin, a throughs in rice, called "super World Bank official and chairman of CGIAR; Norman Bor­ rice," which are expected to laug; and Jacques Diouf, director general of the UN Food and increase yields by 25% in a Agriculture Organization. few years. Dr. Curdev Khush The examples of the award-winners in achieving food This new "super rice," and increases, provided the context for remarks by McNamara on the 1960s "miracle rice," illustrate the principle that scientific the feasibility of feeding what he projected would be a world breakthroughs and applications can alter nature to provide population increase of2 billion people, to reach 8 billion in 25 the basis for continuous expansion of food supplies in the years (a low projection, in fact). McNamara said that hunger future. Apparently fixed resources are not constraints. The stalks 750 million people today, and could affect 1 billion means exist to feed billions more people on the planet. people in 25 years, unless "food optimists" are right, that The prize has been awarded 12 times since 1987. The agricultural technologies and "economic policy reforms" will idea was conceived by Dr. Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel be enacted. • laureate for "Green Revolution" grains. The World Food McNamara said "food optimists" and "food pessimists" Prize secretariat is in Ames, Iowa, at the Iowa State Univer­ are clashing over whether the world will be able to feed itself, sity, College of Agriculture. Among the past recipients of and that he tends to side with the "optimists." the World Food Prize are: In fact, the World Bank, in practice, serves the "pessi­ 1993: He Kang, former minister of agriculture in China, mists." Closely allied with the International Monetary Fund who provided leadership for programs resulting in large anti-development policy of imposing harsh conditionalities increases in agricultural output in China in the early 1980s, on countries, the World Bank has opposed the kinds of ag­ giving China self-sufficiency in basic foods. ricultural infrastructure development (water, power, trans­ 1987: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, architect of India's "Green port, chemical industry) that would expand nations' food out­ Revolution," who led the introduction of high-yielding wheat put productivity. and rice varieties to Indian farmers. Thus, while the World Bank-connected research centers, 1988: Dr. Robert Chandler, Jr., the founding director of and sponsorship of science, produces specific advances of IRRI in the Philippines, where his leadership helped spur great potential, the economic policies of the Bank, the IMF, an international network of similar research centers. 34 Feature EIR December 6, 1996 © 1996 EIR News Service Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission strictly prohibited..
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